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Monthly Archives: April 2014

I told myself that I wouldn’t be writing episode reviews anymore. But Rentarou, Enju, even Kayo… I just couldn’t help it. Who knew that Black Bullet would be so tragic?

Episode 3

Rentarou is the only main character I know that suffers so much in the first few episodes. I had a feeling it was way too easy to obtain the case even if it was right in front of them but the outcome of the fight between Rentarou and Enju against Kagetane and his Initiator was horrifying. I didn’t expect Rentarou to be stabbed that badly. When he passed out, I was so worried. It was only the third episode, so it was impossible for the main character to die so soon, but still, I’ve never seen a main character getting so injured at the start of an anime. If it was nearing the end of the anime, it makes sense, but not so soon.

I liked this scene at the end of episode 3. It showed the trust between the two partners. They supported each other no matter what and believed that they could do well in their mission.

Episode 4

Episode 4 was appalling. Rentarou and Enju foght against Kagetane and his Initiator again. This time, Rentarou was much stronger than before. Kisara revealed that while protecting her from a Gastrea attack years ago, Rentarou lost his right arm, right leg and left eye. After going through an operation, he now has artificial limbs made of Varanium. This enabled him to get past Kagetane’s Maximum Pain. I was frightened when Rentarou jabbed himself with five tubes of AGV. They provided regenerative abilities like the Gastrea, but they carried a 20% risk of death. Fortunately, it was a success. At the end of the battle, Kagetane fell into the sea. His signal was lost, suggesting that he was dead. But was he, really? I felt that he died too quickly.

When the alarm was raised, I was expecting Kagetane to jump out of the sea. However, it was reported that a Stage 5 Gastrea was nearby. I was disappointed when I heard this, but it also shows that Black Bullet isn’t predictable. I think that it’s a good sign. While seeing my predictions come true, I feel a sense of accomplishment, as if I’ve gained intelligence. On the other hand, if an anime is too predictable, it’s not as exciting. Some examples of anime with extreme plot twists are Death Note and Durarara. Watching anime with plot twists are thrilling because unexpected things happen when you least expect them.

Rentarou… I was dumbfounded when he yanked his arm off as a source of Varanium. I think that it’s selfless how he did that to save everyone else. It was an artificial arm, so it’s not as if Rentarou hasn’t lost an arm before, but for him to forcefully pull it off was a different matter. It definitely hurt. In addition, he had to shoot the Stage 5 Gastrea himself.

“Satomi-san, from here on out, if you get lost in the darkness, follow the compass in your heart and go towards the light. Please save this world…” – Kayo

It’s heartrending to see Kayo asking Rentarou to kill her. She wishes to die as a human, hence making that request. Rentarou, having few friends, hesitated before agreeing to do so. He didn’t have much of a choice. If he let Kayo continue living, she would turn into a Gastrea, so he would still need to kill her. It was only a matter of time. Kayo died protecting Rentarou and Enju, highlighting the theme of self-sacrifice which seems to revolve around Black Bullet.

Black Bullet successfully managed to trigger my emotions. I’m starting to like Rentarou and Enju more. As for the ending of the episode, I’m quite worried about Enju, with her corrosion rate of 42.1%. Rentarou doesn’t want to tell her so that she won’t worry, but what’s going to happen? As for the preview, I’m eager to know about what happens with Rentarou and Enju’s job. Will they actually assassinate Sentenshi-sama?

I only knew about Kamigami no Asobi this week, which is why I’m only reviewing it now when a few episodes have already been aired. I first heard about it from my friend who recommended it to me since she knew I was interested in Greek mythology.

One thing I usually do before watching an anime is to read its synopsis on Wikipedia. This isn’t always a good move as there could be spoilers around. In this case, the first website that appeared in my Google Search was My Anime List, so I read the synopsis that was given there. There was a list of characters and their voice actors stated there as well. I saw the names of two familiar voice actors, Daisuke Ono (Hades) and Hiyoshi Kamiya (Baldr). This made me really interested in the anime. On the downside, I was slightly disappointed that I found out before watching the anime. Usually, I like to listen and see if I could spot any familiar voices. (Sigh. This girl cannot be easily satisfied.) Anyway, I felt that it was really cool when I heard Hades and Baldr speak. I was thinking, “Hey, it’s Sebastian!” and “It’s Yato!!!”

What impressed me about this anime is the main character, Kusanagi Yui. Other than Haruhi from Ouran Highschool Host Club, I have never really liked any female main characters from reverse harems. Kusanagi Yui has a proper personality, which I find very important. I have always felt that reverse harem girls lacked personality. She’s no pushover. She doesn’t obey everything that she is told. She has the courage to refuse Zeus’s request. It’s also nice how there are scenes to show Yui’s cute side. Besides, she has a proper background, with her family and friends shown. This is usually not included, especially in otome reverse harems.

Another thing I like is the sword. I love swords. I think that they’re the coolest weapons. When the sword shrank and turned into a pendant, I thought of a story I wrote. At that time, I was super enthusiastic about Fairy Tail, so the main character was a mage. Most importantly, her main weapon was a sword that was usually worn as a pendant, but could transform into an actual sword if she needs it. To think that my idea is already being used in an anime!

So, will I continue watching Kamigami no Asobi? Well, maybe not. I watched it only because of my curiosity, but now that I have, I doubt I want to watch more. The only thing that I really like about this anime is the main character. Yet, this is a reverse harem. Most people watch reverse harems for the guys. It’s the reason why only girls would want to watch them. For Kamigami no Asobi, I’m not very interested in any of the guys. They are… pretty weird to me. Not forgetting the flowery background every time a new god is introduced. I cringed every time that happened. You can actually use the second picture as a reference to how I felt, except with the words changed to “What… did I just watch?” (Okay, that was an exaggeration.) It’s so ridiculous, it’s hilarious. I laugh every time I think of those scenes. Maybe there’s something wrong with my sense of humour, but that’s how I am.

By the way, hearing Baldr speak makes me miss Noragami because despite all the gods portrayed in Kamigami no Asobi, Yato’s the only anime god that I like. Furthermore, at the start of the anime, I thought that Apollo was really cool… until the transformation. It was extremely unexpected, to say the least. Then again, I should have known. After all, Kamigami no Asobi is an otome reverse harem.

When I read the synopsis of Black Bullet, I felt that it was interesting. It seemed like the kind of anime I liked. The reason why it wasn’t in my watchlist at first was because of Enju. I thought that it would be about lolis or something. Anime with little girls aren’t the kind I like to watch, so I put it off. However, after hearing my friend talk about how much she liked Black Bullet, I decided to give it a try.

I think I’ve been too critical of Enju from the beginning. When the victim turned into a Jumping Spider, I felt that she should have dodged instead of getting stuck there. It was like she was waiting for Rentaro to save her. However, it was a good thing that she ended up helping him when he ran out of bullets. Still, I didn’t really like her until episode 2, when more of the Cursed Children’s background was explained. (The ultimate plot technique: make the audience feel sad for the character.)

Now that I think about it, Rentaro reminds me of Rin from Ao no Exorcist but looks more like Gareki from Karneval. (I have a tendency to compare the similarities of characters’ appearances and personalities.) Also, I’m not sure if anyone else feels this way, but I feel that the opening song reminds me of Shingeki no Kyojin. I mean it in a positive way. I’m not trying to imply that Black Bullet is copying its style. I like the similarity in the starting and ending of the music. I like the upbeat rhythm of the song which makes me really want to watch the anime. The slightly sad tone also reflects the feelings of the Cursed Children who are discriminated by the rest of society.

Back to the plot, I really like how Black Bullet is going. The characters are interesting, even the villain. I think that the Gastrea is intriguing. Episode 2 managed to capture my attention fully. I like the pace on how the plot is being unfolded. It’s not too rushed or too draggy. Episode 2 made me really like Rentarou. He doesn’t view Enju as a tool like some other promoters. To him, Enju is a human and should be treated fairly as one. In fact, I feel that she is more of a sister to him.

The suspense, the great animation and plot so far… Black Bullet is a must-watch this Spring season.

I know I’m posting this when the first episode has been aired one week ago but well, better late than never!

Fairy Tail (2014) episode 176: The King of the Dragons

As a Fairy Tail fan, I’ve been eagerly waiting for this. What I first noticed was the change in art style. I don’t dislike it, but I guess nobody can get used to changes easily. When the episode started, I was pretty confused by what was happening. It was about destruction, Lucy crying and Natsu coming to the rescue. I couldn’t get what was going on, but then the opening started.

I really like this opening. At first, I was trying to figure out if the song was really in Japanese because it didn’t sound like it was. However, it did match the lyrics. That’s when I realised it was like the first ending of Ao no Exorcist, Take Off by 2PM. Masayume Chasing is sung by BoA, a K-Pop singer. It’s a really catchy song, so it’s been replaying in my mind very often ever since I heard it.

The Plot

I was wondering where this episode would start with after the opening. The part with the destruction was not explained except in the ending. Instead, the episode continued with Fairy Tail having a day off from the Magic Games. I like how the old Fairy Tail days are shown, with Natsu and Gray fighting, someone destroying Erza’s cake (it is the greatest crime in Fiore to ruin the Titania’s cake) and finally Erza dealing with the two of them. I’ve read the manga, so most of the plot follows the dragon slayers, accompanied by their Exceeds, Gray and Lucy, finding out the the Dragon King Festival. Arcnologia being the Dragon King is interesting part of this episode, despite me already knowing this since I read it in the manga. Speaking of the manga, I sort of wished that I didn’t read it since I don’t feel that much for the anime plot now. I already know what’s going to happen, so I don’t feel that surprised, and it eliminates the suspense.

However, one thing that made me really emotional is Lector’s disappearance. I read that part in the manga, but it still broke my heart to see it played out. I wanted to cry with Sting. It’s amazing how anime can make me hate a character at first then start liking him because something tragic happens to him. Back to my point, I can’t believe the master of Sabertooth did that to Lector! He’s cruel and unfeeling. He’s practially inhuman! Between the two Sabertooth Exceeds, I only liked Lector even though he was pretty arrogant and irritating. I hate Frosch. I think that he’s annoying. I don’t know why. That’s why, when I first saw what happened to Lector, part of me wished that Frosch was the one who disappeared. I know that it’s mean, but that was really what I felt.

I like how it’s set in the modern world. I know it doesn’t match the actual setting for Fairy Tail and it looks more like a scene in Fan Fiction. Most importantly, it’s entirely focused on Natsu and Lucy. What a way to start another shipping war haha. Well, I’m actually a Nalu fan. I don’t hate Nali, so I understand why Nali fans will dislike the ending. I think that the ending is sweet, but I hope Fairy Tail won’t be focusing too much on romance, because the reason I watch it is for the action and comedy.

Now that Noragami has ended, what will you readers be seeing on my blog? Due to an increasing load of homework, I doubt that I can write episodic reviews anymore. However, I will be writing full reviews for anime I’ve finished watching. I already have a few written and saved as drafts so that I have something to post during months that I’m too busy with school to write. Also, I’ll be writing posts that aren’t confined to a particular anime. I think it’s good to write a broader topic from time to time.

Spring anime I’m planning to watch:

Fairy Tail

Fairy Tail is back! (Cue to the Main Theme playing) I’m sure every Fairy Tail fan was disappointed with the anime ending with episode 175 so suddenly. “Where is episode 176?” was a really common question among the fans. Fairy Tail will continue tomorrow. I can’t wait!

Due to my tight schedule, the only anime I plan to watch is Fairy Tail. As a fan of this wizard-themed anime, I definitely have to watch the new season. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to watch other new anime this season. For Winter 2014, I was extremely interested in Noragami just by seeing the picture and the plot. That turned out to be a great choice. However, when I was checking out the list of Spring 2014 anime, I haven’t noticed any which appeal to me other than Fairy Tail. Somehow, the rest lack something to catch my attention.

Other things:

I’m honoured to announce that I’ve been featured in March Blogspotlight at Ninety’s Blog! You can read it here. Be sure to check out this amazing blog!

Also, if you’ve been following my blog for quite some time, you might have noticed that I stopped reviewing Log Horizon, Nagi no Asukara, Nisekoi and Hamatora. I initially planned to continue reviewing Log Horizon together with Noragami, but I didn’t have enough time and Log Horizon was starting to bore me. It. Was. Just. Too. Slow. I really like Nagi no Asukara. I’m currently watching Kuroko no Basket Season 2, and I would try to continue Nagi no Asukara when I’m done.